Slovakia holidays | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/slovakia
Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voiceen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2018Sun, 18 Feb 2018 05:41:54 GMT2018-02-18T05:41:54Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2018The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
Bratislava in the spotlight: Slovakian city celebrates 25 years as capitalhttps://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jan/01/bratislava-spotlight-slovakia-25-years-capital
<p>No longer in the shadow of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, the Slovak capital is shaking off its dour Communist-era reputation and rediscovering its position in the heart of Central Europe</p><p>“East of Vienna, the Orient begins,” the famous dictum of 19th century Austrian statesman Metternich has been associated by generations of writers with Bratislava, the Slovak capital 35 miles to the east. Visiting in 1933, Patrick Leigh Fermor described an exotic mix of Slav, Hungarian, Jewish and German: “A different cast had streamed on stage and the whole plot had changed.”</p><p>But 25 years ago, Bratislava found itself thrust into a new role as capital of newly independent Slovakia. Since then it has carved its own niche in Central Europe, refusing to ape or be overshadowed by its neighbours, and shaking off its dour Communist-era reputation to rediscover a wealth of historic architecture and its enviable location on the Danube. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jan/01/bratislava-spotlight-slovakia-25-years-capital">Continue reading...</a>CitiesBratislava holidaysSlovakiaWorld newsSlovakia holidaysEuropeTravelMon, 01 Jan 2018 08:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jan/01/bratislava-spotlight-slovakia-25-years-capitalPhotograph: RossHelen/Getty Images/iStockphotoPhotograph: RossHelen/Getty Images/iStockphotoAndrew MacDowall2018-01-01T08:00:04Z10 of the best winter sports resorts in Europe for skiing and morehttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/oct/14/winter-sports-skiing-europe-activities-hotels-holidays
<p>Not everyone is thrilled by the idea of a week’s skiing and little else; here are ski bases with the full St Moritz array of winter fun but without the Swiss original’s steep prices</p><p>The winter sports holiday was famously born in Switzerland in September 1864, when a canny hotelier in St Moritz wagered a party of British visitors that if they returned in winter and the sun failed to shine more than in summer, he’d foot their bill. Statistically, he was on safe ground. They returned, and the rest is history.</p><p>Today, St Moritz offers everything from golf, cricket and horse racing on the frozen lake, to the Cresta Run and bobsleigh. But it’s expensive. Here are 10 less well-known destinations that offer more than just skiing.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/oct/14/winter-sports-skiing-europe-activities-hotels-holidays">Continue reading...</a>Winter sports holidaysSki resortsFrance holidaysEurope holidaysAustria holidaysPyrenees holidaysItaly holidaysSpain holidaysSlovakia holidaysPoland holidaysTop 10sTravelSat, 14 Oct 2017 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/oct/14/winter-sports-skiing-europe-activities-hotels-holidaysPhotograph: Alamy Stock PhotoPhotograph: Alamy Stock PhotoFelice Hardy2017-10-14T06:00:00ZGreat little ski resorts: Jasná, Slovakiahttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/nov/28/jasnia-ski-resort-slovakia
<p>Slovakia’s top ski resort offers stunning landscapes, easy access, powder lines, friendly locals and beer for €2 a pint</p><p>In the thickly forested slopes of the Low Tatras mountains, Jasná is Slovakia’s number one ski resort. Though travel guides sometimes file the region under eastern Europe, locals prefer to think of themselves as central Europe, having long since shaken off the iron curtain and invested in a lift system every bit as modern as that of its Alpine neighbours. Jasná is just a 40-minute drive from the nearest airport, Poprad Tatry, and is also within three hours from the low-cost hubs of Bratislava and Kosice, plus Krakow in Poland.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/nov/28/jasnia-ski-resort-slovakia">Continue reading...</a>Slovakia holidaysEurope holidaysTravelSkiing holidaysSki resortsSnowboardingSat, 28 Nov 2015 07:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/nov/28/jasnia-ski-resort-slovakiaPhotograph: PRPhotograph: PREd Blomfield2015-11-28T07:00:02ZThe great eastern European road trip part five: Slovakiahttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/sep/05/great-eastern-europe-road-trip-slovakia-high-tatra
<p>A trek to Slovakia’s Tatra mountain peaks presents tough challenges for Kevin Rushby and family. Next: Poland<br>• Week 1: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/08/great-european-road-trip-croatia-pag-island-zadar-neum"><strong>Croatia</strong></a> Week 2: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/15/east-european-road-trip-albania-tombs-via-egnatia"><strong>Albania</strong></a> Week 3: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/22/east-european-roadtrip-bulgaria-trigrad-gorge-rhodope"><strong>Bulgaria</strong></a> Week 4: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/29/romania-road-trip-maramures-breb-east-europe"><strong>Romania</strong></a></p><p>If you’ve ever planned a family hiking trip, you’ll know that such enterprises are often tricky. And tackling Slovakia’s High Tatra was definitely ambitious. I’d tried hard while in the UK to gather information from the web, but most of it was in Slovak and anyway it all depended on our capabilities, a factor I hardly knew how to explain. Maddy, 12, was adamant that she hated walking and loved only swimming; my partner, Sophie, liked walking, but hated the cold. I passed responsibility to a hiking agency in Slovakia and prayed they would understand.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/sep/05/great-eastern-europe-road-trip-slovakia-high-tatra">Continue reading...</a>Slovakia holidaysEurope holidaysWalking holidaysFamily holidaysRoad tripsTravelAdventure travelSat, 05 Sep 2015 06:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/sep/05/great-eastern-europe-road-trip-slovakia-high-tatraPhotograph: Kevin RushbyPhotograph: Kevin RushbyKevin Rushby2015-09-05T06:00:01ZSkiing in the Tatra mountains, Slovakiahttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/feb/22/skiing-tatra-mountains-slovakia-budget-ski-breaks
<p>New flights have brought Slovakia’s Tatras mountains – and their abudance of slopes, spas and waterparks – closer for skiers who are on a budget</p><p>Careering out of thick cloud came a large husky, tugging a skier behind him. The man flew over a bump and arced through the air, skis inches from my chest, then pelted at breakneck speed down the slopes. As the Slovak saying has it, he was “skiing like a Hungarian”.</p><p>My Slovak hosts here in the ski resort of Tatranská Lomnica were dubious when I told them what had happened. “This, no, I never saw,” said hotel manager Michal. But he had seen bears passing outside his lobby, he said, and 30 wild boar on the roadside one night.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/oct/23/top-10-affordable-ski-chalets-lodges">Top 10 affordable ski chalets and lodges</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/feb/14/eastern-europe-skiing-budget-resorts">Skiing in eastern Europe on a budget: the best resorts</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/feb/22/skiing-tatra-mountains-slovakia-budget-ski-breaks">Continue reading...</a>Skiing holidaysSlovakia holidaysEurope holidaysTravelWeekend breaksGwyn Topham's ski diaryBudget travelWinter sports holidaysSun, 22 Feb 2015 07:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/feb/22/skiing-tatra-mountains-slovakia-budget-ski-breaksPhotograph: PRPhotograph: PRGwyn Topham2015-02-22T07:00:02ZTravel tips: Flintshire in northeast Wales, and the week’s best dealshttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/sep/07/flintshire-wales-cumbria-tatra-mountains-slovakia
<p>Have a rugged time in Flintshire, stay in a country house hotel in Cumbria, and ski Slovakia’s Tatra mountains</p><p><strong>Why go?</strong><br>It’s easy to overlook this little corner of northeast Wales as you whizz through it on your way to Snowdonia. But if you want an excuse to stay, you won’t have to look far. The new <a href="http://www.walescoastpath.gov.uk/default.aspx">Wales Coast Path</a> has opened up the coastline’s intriguing mix of natural beauty and gritty industrial heritage to walkers. A new festival curated by Cerys Matthews, meanwhile, opening this month (see below), introduces the quiet charms of its market towns, rolling hills and great food.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/sep/07/flintshire-wales-cumbria-tatra-mountains-slovakia">Continue reading...</a>Wales holidaysSlovakia holidaysUnited Kingdom holidaysEurope holidaysTravelSun, 07 Sep 2014 05:00:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/sep/07/flintshire-wales-cumbria-tatra-mountains-slovakiaPhotograph: Steve Wilson/GettyTo the lighthouse: sunset on thebeautiful Talacre beach. Photograph: Steve Wilson/GettyPhotograph: Steve Wilson/GettyTo the lighthouse: sunset on thebeautiful Talacre beach. Photograph: Steve Wilson/GettyJoanne O'Connor2014-09-07T05:00:05ZSkiing in eastern Europe on a budget: the best resortshttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/feb/14/eastern-europe-skiing-budget-resorts
From off-piste powder in Slovakia to family-friendly resorts in the Czech Republic, eastern Europe has it all – at lower prices<p><strong>Best for Party people/ historical significance</strong><br>Given the brutal war that followed, it's easy to forget that Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, with Torvill and Dean Bolero-ing their way to gold. Mount Jahorina, 30km from the capital and the region's second-highest mountain at 1,916m, was the venue for the women's alpine skiing events.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/feb/14/eastern-europe-skiing-budget-resorts">Continue reading...</a>Winter sports holidaysSkiing holidaysRomania holidaysSlovakia holidaysPoland holidaysCzech Republic holidaysTravelFri, 14 Feb 2014 21:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/feb/14/eastern-europe-skiing-budget-resortsPhotograph: Elvis Barukcic/AFPJahorina, Bosnia. Photograph: Elvis Barukcic/AFPPhotograph: Elvis Barukcic/AFPJahorina, Bosnia. Photograph: Elvis Barukcic/AFPSam Haddad2014-02-14T21:00:00ZStylish holiday destinations in eastern Europehttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jul/24/stylish-holiday-destinations-eastern-europe
Whether it's on the coast or in the countryside, eastern Europe – Romania, Montenegro, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia – offers tempting locations for any type of holiday<p>Romania has plenty of beautiful farm buildings and a strong folk craft history, which means there are some gorgeous places to stay in rural locations. <a href="http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p783185" title="">Casa Palaga</a> is a very special wooden self-catering house sleeping four in deep countryside in the <strong>Maramures</strong> area, with views of the Rodna mountains and over the border into Ukraine. Set in a clearing surrounded by trees and grass, the house is full of lovely old wooden furniture. It's booked until September, but could be good for a late summer break. From €440 a week, or €70 a night (min three night stay). Or try <a href="http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p2002080" title="">Casa Cosma</a> (homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p2002080), nearby, a similar wooden farmhouse, sleeping four, from €65 a night, min three-night stay.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jul/24/stylish-holiday-destinations-eastern-europe">Continue reading...</a>Europe holidaysSummer holidaysBeach holidaysRomania holidaysMontenegro holidaysLatvia holidaysLithuania holidaysSlovakia holidaysTravelWed, 24 Jul 2013 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jul/24/stylish-holiday-destinations-eastern-europePhotograph: PRCasa Palaga, RomaniaPhotograph: PRCasa Palaga, RomaniaGemma Bowes2013-07-24T06:00:00ZBratislava: a beer lover's guidehttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/apr/17/bratislava-slovakia-beer-pubs-microbreweries
Bratislava takes its beer just as seriously as its more famous neighbour, Prague. And a new wave of independent microbreweries and pubs, often hidden down the back streets, is putting the city on the beer-drinkers' map<p>Bratislava is a simple beast. Skulking quietly in the shadow of Vienna and Budapest, the capital of Slovakia is often rushed through as tourists make a beeline for those more grandiose cities. A quick look round the castle, a plate of meat hastily wolfed down, and they're off, mumbling something about how small they found it all. Yet unlike its Danube counterparts, it boasts something far more appealing than any Baroque facade or thermal bath: decent beer.</p><p>Much like its beefier half-brother Prague, it takes the art of beer-making very seriously. And, in recent years, an exciting new trend has developed: microbreweries. Popping up in unexplored crevices of the city, these tucked-away drinking caves specialise in home-produced lagers, and are packed full of discerning but guzzling locals, who've grown tired of the mass-produced fare.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/apr/17/bratislava-slovakia-beer-pubs-microbreweries">Continue reading...</a>Bratislava holidaysSlovakia holidaysBeerPubsFood and drinkFood & drinkLife and styleEurope holidaysTravelWed, 17 Apr 2013 13:29:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/apr/17/bratislava-slovakia-beer-pubs-microbreweriesPhotograph: AlamyBratislava: the castle and beyond Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamyBratislava: the castle and beyond Photograph: AlamyMark Pickering2013-04-17T13:29:00ZPicture this: a photography course in the Tatra mountainshttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/sep/23/photography-course-holiday-slovakia-tatra-mountains
<strong>Slawek Kozdras</strong> won a photography course in Slovakia's Tatra mountains in our 2010 Been there photo competition. Here he reveals the results <a href="http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/" title="Been there">Been there</a> photo competition<br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2011/sep/23/slovakia-photography">Gallery: see Slawek's photos from the trip</a><br /> <a href="http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/andbeyond-prize.jsp" title="Been there photo competition">Enter this year's photo competition</a><p>It's strange to go on a photography trip to Slovakia but to land in Krakow in Poland – where I'm originally from.</p><p>Poland welcomed us with beautiful sunshine. After about an hour and a half's drive, billboards in Slovak appeared, then the jagged peaks of the Tatra mountains appeared on the horizon and we instantly found ourselves in the midst of a violent burst of hail.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/sep/23/photography-course-holiday-slovakia-tatra-mountains">Continue reading...</a>Slovakia holidaysTravel photographyPhotographyLearning holidaysEurope holidaysTravelArt and designShort breaksFri, 23 Sep 2011 21:45:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/sep/23/photography-course-holiday-slovakia-tatra-mountainsPhotograph: Slawek KozdrasThe Tatra mountains provided a spectacular backdrop for the photography course. Photograph: Slawek KozdrasPhotograph: Slawek KozdrasThe Tatra mountains provided a spectacular backdrop for the photography course. Photograph: Slawek KozdrasSlawek Kozdras2011-09-23T21:45:05ZPicture this: Been there competition winner's trip to Slovakiahttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2011/sep/23/slovakia-photography
The prize in 2010's Been there photo competition was a photography trip to the Tatra mountains in Slovakia. Here are some of winner Slawek Kozdras's best shots<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/sep/23/photography-course-holiday-slovakia-tatra-mountains">Read about Slawek's trip</a><br /><a href="http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/send-a-photo.jsp">Enter this year's photo competition</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2011/sep/23/slovakia-photography">Continue reading...</a>Slovakia holidaysTravel photographyLearning holidaysFri, 23 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2011/sep/23/slovakia-photographyPhotograph: Slawek Kodrascottage Photograph: Slawek KodrasPhotograph: Slawek Kodrascottage Photograph: Slawek KodrasSlawek Kozdras2011-09-23T04:00:00ZSki Travel: Chalets with a viewhttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/dec/12/ski-travel-owner-run-chalets
From a Norwegian lodge with summit-to-sea skiing to a Shinto-Buddhist escape in the Alps… Here are 15 amazing owner-run snow retreats<p>Thanks to its proximity to Geneva airport, snowboard-friendly pistes and parks, and less obscene drink pricing than many other resorts, Morzine has more independent chalets than most resorts. One such offering is More Mountain, run by husband-and-wife team Sam and John Dredge, who promise "luxury but not pretentious" sleek-looking chalets in the heart of town. Each is furnished with iPods, flatscreen TVs and Garmin GPS devices so you can plot where you've skied and, more crucially, see how fast you've gone. They make toffee vodka and provide hip flasks to take up the mountain, as well as serving bacon and eggs for breakfast, for when you've overdone it the night before.<br><strong>Book it </strong>From £449 per person, per week; moremountain.com<br><strong>Get there </strong>EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from £37.98 return; the one-hour transfer from Geneva is included in the price of your stay. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/dec/12/ski-travel-owner-run-chalets">Continue reading...</a>Skiing holidaysTravelFrance holidaysEurope holidaysTromso holidaysNorway holidaysDolomites holidaysItaly holidaysSwitzerland holidaysSlovakia holidaysBulgaria holidaysJapan holidaysAsiaWinter sports holidaysSun, 12 Dec 2010 00:06:21 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/dec/12/ski-travel-owner-run-chaletsPhotograph: PROne of the chalets at More Mountain, Morzine, where owners Sam and John Dredge promise luxury in the heart of town.Photograph: PROne of the chalets at More Mountain, Morzine, where owners Sam and John Dredge promise luxury in the heart of town.Sam Haddad2010-12-12T00:06:21Z30 fantastic new trips for 2010https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/10/30-new-2010-trips
From a newly accessible ski area in Eastern Europe to a little-travelled corner of India, we have scoured the brochures for this year's most unusual and innovative ideas<p><strong>Ski in Eastern Europe</strong><br>European ski resorts are seeing some fantastic powder, but those on a tight budget should consider heading east, taking advantage of new flights from Danube Wings launched last month. They link Luton, Manchester and Dublin to Poprad-Tatry in Slovakia, which is less than an hour's drive from Jasna, the country's largest resort and with a growing off-piste reputation.<br>•<strong> Flights to Poprad-Tatry with Danube Wings (</strong><a href="http://www.danubewings.com" title="danubewings.com"><strong>danubewings.com</strong></a><strong>) cost from £150. For accommodation information see </strong><a href="http://www.tatry.net/accommodation/" title="tatry.net/accommodation"><strong>jasna.sk</strong></a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/10/30-new-2010-trips">Continue reading...</a>Adventure travelSkiing holidaysSlovakia holidaysIndia holidaysCultural tripsSeychelles holidaysFamily holidaysWinter sports holidaysWinter sunScotland holidaysWinter Olympics 2010Vancouver holidaysNewcastle holidaysFestivalsAndorra holidaysGhent holidaysSurfing holidaysCornwall holidaysSt Lucia holidaysUnited States holidaysTwilightIstanbul holidaysShanghai holidaysGothenburg holidaysSantiago de Compostela holidaysRail travelAustralia holidaysZimbabwe holidaysSafarisGreece holidaysGolfing holidaysRyder CupMontenegro holidaysHeston BlumenthalRestaurantsMexico holidaysNorway holidaysNorthern lights holidaysAntarctica holidaysTravelWinter OlympicsOlympic GamesSun, 10 Jan 2010 00:06:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/10/30-new-2010-tripsPhotograph: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFPThe Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious fesitval. It is held four times every 12 years, and in 2010 will be in Haridwar, India. Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFPPhotograph: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFPThe Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious fesitval. It is held four times every 12 years, and in 2010 will be in Haridwar, India. Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFPAnnabelle Thorpe2010-01-10T00:06:07ZSkiing news for the 2009/2010 seasonhttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/07/skiing-news-this-season
Fancy doing something different this season? Here's what's on offer, from cheap deals in eastern Europe to the trip of a lifetime to Antarctica<p><a href="http://www.snow-pod.com" title="Snowpod">Snowpod</a> is a new collection of funky but cheap serviced apartments in <strong>Tignes</strong>, France, in the Val Claret area, targeting snowboarders with graffiti art, salvaged furnishings and X-boxes. From £199pp per week B&amp;B, £299pp half-board. <a href="http://www.dropinchalets.com" title="Drop In Chalets">Drop In Chalets</a> (+44 (0) 7864 289 134), a new venture in <strong>Chamonix</strong>,<strong> </strong>has six en-suite rooms, a home cinema and outdoor hot tub, offers off-piste skis and tuition, and aims to be eco-friendly. From £420pp per week half board. And <a href="http://www.greenmountainchalets.co.uk" title="Green Mountain Chalets">Green Mountain Chalets</a>, new in St Martin de Belleville in the <strong>Trois Vallées</strong>, is a stylish option with five rooms, a cellar dining room, honesty fridge and free shuttle to the lifts, from €380pp per week half-board.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/07/skiing-news-this-season">Continue reading...</a>Skiing holidaysWinter sports holidaysSnowboardingTravelFrance holidaysSwitzerland holidaysNorway holidaysAntarctica holidaysBulgaria holidaysSlovakia holidaysAndorra holidaysAustria holidaysFestivalsHotelsAdventure travelBudget travelSat, 07 Nov 2009 00:05:34 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/07/skiing-news-this-seasonPhotograph: PRSweet 16 this year ... the Rave On Snow festival in Austria.Photograph: PRSweet 16 this year ... the Rave On Snow festival in Austria.Gemma Bowes2009-11-07T00:05:34ZBears tracking in Slovakia's High Tatrashttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jul/18/bear-tracking-slovakia-tatras-wildlife
You wouldn't want to bump into one on your own, but tracking brown bears with an expert team in Slovakia's High Tatras can be thrillingly tense<p>It keeps you on your toes this bear watching. "Female with cub in the trees," whispered our guide, David Guthrie, rocketing off through the flower-strewn meadow for a better view. Our seven-strong group tried to keep up, desperate for a first close-up of a European brown bear. By the time I arrived, panting, at the forest edge, our prey had vanished into the trees. "Did you see them?" my fellow trackers asked. "No," I muttered grumpily, scanning the mountainside forlornly with my binoculars. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jul/18/bear-tracking-slovakia-tatras-wildlife">Continue reading...</a>Slovakia holidaysAdventure travelEurope holidaysEthical holidaysTravelWildlife holidaysFri, 17 Jul 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jul/18/bear-tracking-slovakia-tatras-wildlifePhotograph: AlamyIt’s behind you ... bears can be elusive in the High Tatras. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamyIt’s behind you ... bears can be elusive in the High Tatras. Photograph: AlamyFlemming Webb2009-07-17T23:01:00ZReaders' tips … Canoeing in Europehttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/06/readers-tips-canoeing-in-europe
<p>Set out from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc (after the spectacular limestone arch that spans the river) for a 30km paddle in a Canadian canoe through the magical Ardèche gorges, awesome 300m-high limestone cliffs punctuated by pebble beaches and rock shelves for picnicking. Your trip ends at the medieval town of Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche for some great ice-cream of the Monsieur Whippy variety. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/06/readers-tips-canoeing-in-europe">Continue reading...</a>Canoeing and kayaking holidaysAdventure travelTravelFrance holidaysEurope holidaysGermany holidaysSlovakia holidaysSweden holidaysTurkey holidaysScotland holidaysUnited Kingdom holidaysFri, 05 Jun 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/06/readers-tips-canoeing-in-europeGuardian readers2009-06-05T23:01:00ZThe best holiday castles, villas and mansions in Europe to rent as a grouphttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/04/self-catering-rentals-europe
Club together with friends this summer, go slightly off the beaten track and you can take your pick of castles, villas and mansions<p><strong>Le Chateau Du Lac, Spa <br>Sleeps 10 </strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/04/self-catering-rentals-europe">Continue reading...</a>HotelsSelf-cateringBelgium holidaysIreland holidaysLimerick holidaysCork holidaysCultural tripsCroatia holidaysFinland holidaysWalking holidaysWater sports holidaysDenmark holidaysNorway holidaysFrance holidaysLatvia holidaysRiga holidaysBergen holidaysFood and drinkHungary holidaysPoland holidaysKraków holidaysRomania holidaysBulgaria holidaysSlovakia holidaysMontenegro holidaysEurope holidaysBeach holidaysHorse riding holidaysGermany holidaysSweden holidaysTravelFri, 03 Apr 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/04/self-catering-rentals-europePhotograph: PRCorreze holiday barn, FrancePhotograph: PRCorreze holiday barn, FranceCompiled by Poorna Shetty2009-04-03T23:01:00ZTim Dowling: Some of us can go without breakfast for a really, really long timehttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/28/tim-dowling-family-relationships
<p>We have been to Slovakia before, so in some ways we know what to expect. We know, for example, that Slovakians employed in the service industry do not smile in the normal course of their duties. Until you are aware of this, you may mistakenly go to great lengths to induce them to smile, by being absurdly polite, or by grinning maniacally, or by recounting, through mime, a moment earlier in the day when you slipped on some ice and hurt your arm. Eventually one realises this is unnecessary, that the stony faces are not expressions of cold, unyielding indifference, and that in most instances Slovakians are only too happy to help, even though, in most instances, they cannot. </p><p>We are a party of 10 - two families, four adults, six children - and one of the central planks of our cost-cutting holiday platform is a determination to be self-catering. To that end we have booked two proximate apartments in a hotel, both with kitchens. On being shown our kitchen, however, we notice that it does not contain an oven, or any gas rings, or indeed any facility for heating stuff up, a space-saving omission that also neatly eliminates the need for pots, pans or other implements associated with cooking. The arrangements across the hall are even less elaborate. Their kitchen is padlocked shut. "Something bad happened in there," says the woman from reception. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/28/tim-dowling-family-relationships">Continue reading...</a>FamilyRelationshipsLife and styleSlovakia holidaysTravelSat, 28 Feb 2009 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/28/tim-dowling-family-relationshipsTim Dowling2009-02-28T00:01:00Z20 great hot springs around Europehttps://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/feb/22/spa-weekends-europe-hot-springs
Spas aren't just the preserve of posh hotels. All these springs are open to the public and though some are simple pools in fields, others architectural marvels, all offer water heated by nature alone<p>The milky waters of the Blue Lagoon are an iconic image of Iceland, but for something less crowded and more natural, make for Landmannalaugar (<a href="http://www.landmannalaugar.info">landmannalaugar.info</a>) in the centre of the island. It's inaccessible in winter, but by summer the road is clear and hikers arrive to soothe their muscles with a quick dip in the geothermal waters that feed into local brooks. Hire cars are forbidden to drive here, but there are regular buses from Reykjavik from mid-June to mid-September.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/feb/22/spa-weekends-europe-hot-springs">Continue reading...</a>Spa breaksWeekend breaksHotelsTravelAustria holidaysBath holidaysBelgium holidaysEurope holidaysFrance holidaysGermany holidaysGreece holidaysHungary holidaysIceland holidaysItaly holidaysSlovakia holidaysSlovenia holidaysSwitzerland holidaysTunisia holidaysUnited Kingdom holidaysSun, 22 Feb 2009 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/feb/22/spa-weekends-europe-hot-springsPhotograph: Christof Sonderegger/PRPut a spring in your step ... Peter Zumtor's Therme Vals in Switzerland is Europe's trendiest natural hot spring. Photograph: Christof Sonderegger/PRPhotograph: Christof Sonderegger/PRPut a spring in your step ... Peter Zumtor's Therme Vals in Switzerland is Europe's trendiest natural hot spring. Photograph: Christof Sonderegger/PRSarah Turner2009-02-22T00:01:00ZIs Slovakia skiing's new frontier?https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jan/18/slovakia-skiing1
With superb, empty slopes and bargain prices, no wonder the Tatra mountains are being touted as the next big thing. Chris Moran investigates<p>My memories of my last snowboarding trip to Eastern Europe, back in 2002, are not entirely good. In Zakopane, Poland, we queued for hours for the lifts, and ended up hating the place. In the Czech Republic, we discovered that "nightclubs" are not the same as "discos" and tend to be frequented by lonely truckers instead of dancers. In Slovakia, we were surprised, and impressed, with the quality of the mountains - even if we didn't have a hope of actually pronouncing the resorts (Strbske Pleso? Liptovsky Mikulas?) - but we despairingly wondered if they would ever put good lifts on them.</p><p>The good news is that, in the six years since then, it seems they've been doing little else. In fact investment is pouring in, and infrastructure is being developed at such a rate that tour operators, hoteliers and the rest of the ski industry are excitedly talking about Slovakia as next season's hot new destination. It's cheap (which everyone knows will be vital next winter), there are budget flights (Sky Europe flies six times a week from the UK to Poprad or Kosice), and hotels and apartments will happily take bookings for less than a week, making ski weekends far easier than in France or Switzerland. Regent Holidays and Vamos Travel have already added Slovakia, First Choice, Crystal and Thomson are in talks about going there, and just before Christmas, I bumped into Inghams' chief contractor, Stevan Popovich, on a tour of the country to see if it merited inclusion in their 2009/2010 winter brochure.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jan/18/slovakia-skiing1">Continue reading...</a>Slovakia holidaysWinter sports holidaysSkiing holidaysTravelSnowboardingBudget travelSun, 18 Jan 2009 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jan/18/slovakia-skiing1Photograph: Michal Burza/EPAThe overview ... Slovakia's main resort, Jasna-Chopok, has plenty of fast tree-lined runs, few skiers and great views. Photograph: Michal Burza/EPAPhotograph: Michal Burza/EPAThe overview ... Slovakia's main resort, Jasna-Chopok, has plenty of fast tree-lined runs, few skiers and great views. Photograph: Michal Burza/EPAChris Moran2009-01-18T00:01:00Z